Converted contracts

  • On 1 December 2022 your renting agreement became a ’converted occupation contract’ unless one of the exceptions mentioned here applies  
  • The type of converted contract you have depends on who your landlord is and the type of tenancy agreement you had before 1 December 2022
  • Your converted contract provides important new rights, but many of the terms of your original agreement will still apply 

If you moved into your home before 1 December 2022, you probably had one of the following kinds of renting agreements: 

Council tenancies 

  • secure tenancy 
  • demoted tenancy (a secure tenancy downgraded due to antisocial behaviour) 
  • introductory tenancy (council tenants who recently moved in) 

Housing association tenancies 

  • assured tenancy  
  • demoted tenancy (an assured tenancy downgraded to an assured shorthold tenancy due to antisocial behaviour)  
  • starter tenancies (assured shorthold tenants who recently moved in) 

Private tenancies 

  • fixed term assured shorthold tenant (if you were still within the fixed term) 
  • periodic assured shorthold tenant (if you had stayed after the end of a fixed term tenancy) 

These kinds of renting agreements all converted into occupation contracts on 1 December 2022. The kind of converted occupation contract you have depends on who your landlord is and the kind of tenancy agreement you had before 1 December 2022.

Do the terms of the agreement I had before 1 December still apply?

In most cases, yes. The terms of the tenancy agreement that you had before 1 December 2022 are still binding on you and your landlord. The only exception to this is if the terms of the agreement you made before 1 December 2022 are incompatible with the fundamental terms of the new type of occupation contract you have. 

This means that converted contracts are very similar to contracts that start after 1 December 2022, but there are some different rules.

When should I receive a converted contract in writing?

Your landlord has until 31 May 2023 to provide you with a written occupation contract. This agreement should incorporate the terms of your original agreement made before 1 December 2022. You do not need to sign this agreement.

If you do consider signing the agreement your landlord gives you, be sure to check that the agreement is not a new contract and doesn’t take away any strong rights that your original agreement gave you.

When you receive the converted contract you should check it to ensure it is correct. If you aren’t sure, get  help. 

What kind of converted occupation contract do I have now?

Select from the options below to find out what kind of converted contract you have, and what this means for you.

I have a community landlord - what type of converted contract have I got?

Councils and housing associations are now known as ‘community landlords’. If you had a tenancy with a community landlord before 1 December 2022 you now have a converted occupation contract. There are different types of converted contracts

More Info

I have a private landlord. What type of converted contract have I got?

If you have a private landlord and were an assured shorthold or an assured tenant before 1 December 2022, then you probably have a converted standard contract. There are 2 main types of converted standard contract that you can have with a private landlord: a converted periodic standard contract or a converted fixed term standard contract.

More Info

I started living in emergency or temporary accommodation before 1 December 2022

Emergency or accommodation agreements did not all automatically convert to occupation contracts on 1 December 2022. However, in certain circumstances your agreement may have become a converted occupation contract on that date.

More Info

I started living in supported accommodation before 1 December 2022

Renting agreements in supported housing did not all automatically convert to occupation contracts on 1 December 2022. However, in certain circumstances your agreement may have become a converted occupation contract on that date.

More Info

I'm an asylum seeker and was given a council or housing association tenancy before 1 December 2022

Most people housed under asylum and immigration rules before 1 December 2022 do not have an occupation contract. However, if you were given a secure council tenancy or licence or an assured housing association tenancy before that date you might have a converted secure occupation contract.

More Info

I'm an asylum seeker and was given an assured shorthold tenancy with a private landlord before 1 December 2022

Most people housed under asylum and immigration rules before 1 December 2022 do not have an occupation contract. However, if you were given an assured shorthold tenancy with a private landlord before that date you might have a converted standard occupation contract.

More Info

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Yn anffodus, ni allwn ddarparu'r wybodaeth hon yn Gymraeg. Mae cyfieithiad Cymraeg ar gael trwy'r ddolen Cymorth Clyweledol ar frig y dudalen. Fodd bynnag, ni fydd y cyfieithiad yn gwbl gywir bob amser gan ei fod yn cael ei gynhyrchu'n awtomatig
Unfortunately, we cannot provide this information in Welsh. There is a Welsh translation available via the Audio Visual Help link at the top of the page. However, these will not always be completely accurate as they are automatically generated.

This page was last updated on: December 8, 2022

Shelter Cymru acknowledges the support of Shelter in allowing us to adapt their content. The information contained on this site is updated and maintained by Shelter Cymru and only gives general guidance on the law in Wales. It should not be regarded or relied upon as a complete or authoritative statement of the law.